House of Night Novels - a school for Vampyres

• Do you like the idea that vampyres might exist?  

• Does the idea of a schools to nurture vampyre skills appeal? (a bit like Hogwarts for wizards)

• Do you like a bit of dating drama (I guess I am talking to the girls amongst you now!)

• Are you interested in the myths and magic of the Cherokee Indians?

• Then get hold of the books in this series  ... 

• Start with Marked - where Zoey Redbird is marked as a fledgeling vampyre and has to begin a new way of life away from her family and friends ....
• Move onto Betrayed - where Zoey realises that she has a direct connection with the goddess Nyx but that her mentor may be san enemy not an ally ....
• Continue with Chosen to see how Zoey deals with the challenge of her best friend being 'undead'

http://www.houseofnightseries.co.uk/


I have just finished reading book 4 Untamed  - it was very action-packed and exciting.  Zoey has a trusted, tight group of friends who all 'bring something different to the party' - but there is  much danger and drama in Zoey's life - everyone seems to want her - all the hot guys: teen and adult, human and vamp, and now a fallen angel!  Zoey's lovely grandma - a wise woman of the Cherokee heritage - tries to guide and protect her and in doing so puts herself in terrible danger.  I got to the end of this book and had to go straight to the next ...

Hunted -  where Zoey has run away from the safety and security of her school The House of Night with only a tiny ramshackle group of 'creatures' who have not turned their back on the Goddess Nyx.  Everything they know is turned on its head - but is Zoey ready to be a priestess of this spin-off group? or must she return to the school and the new regime which now rules and the underlying evil which has the upper hand?  Zoey has many new challenges to face - one friend is new kind of vampyre another has become human again, and she is still beseiged by guys who want to be her consort or her mate.  I cant wait to find out how she handles it all!


I am still loving Nashville - Thursday nights on More4

US drama about a power struggle between two female singers in the cut-throat world of country music:

• Juliette - the spoilt bitch, riding high one moment and picking her reputation out of the gutter the next, bitter and scarred by her history with an alcoholic mother
• Rayna - the queen of the Country music scene with a long history of hits behind her but starting to loose her edge of coolness - her marriage is rocky and she has been yearning after her guitar player for years
• Deacon - Rayna's one-time lover, all-time song writing partner and a man fighting his drinking demons
• Gunnar - Chiselled guitarist and song writer, in love with Scarlett and haunted by a mistake from his past
• Scarlett - beautiful but boyfriend Avery has damaged her confidence, not only in her feminine charms but her singing & songwriting skills .....

I could go on and describe them all, they are a fantastic mess - a tangle of troubles and secrets and the music that runs right through the series is fantastic.  I am tuning in every week, or watching it on 4oD - can't bear to miss an episode, may even be tempted to buy the CD of the music - who knew I'd get into country music??

FILM : PITCH PERFECT  -  Just watch this, it is hilarious and the music is great.  If you enjoy Glee or Smash this will be right up your street!!

Angels and ... Releasing your Inner Devil!

Branded (Fall of Angels) : Keary Taylor

With my enjoyment of all things other worldly, I was very pleased to download Branded onto my Kindle.  I think this story is aimed at a teen audience as it is strongly orientated towards first love and associated intense emotions without straying into more adult-themes.

The central character - Jessica is a lonely girl, who has elected to keep herself separate from family and to forge as few relationships as possible because she is haunted by terrifying dreams.  In fact her dreams are so traumatic, and leave her so mentally and physically scarred, that she tries to sleep as little as possible.

Enter (stage left) Alex, a gorgeous guy she cannot get away from because he owns the house she lives in!  Alex is clearly interested in her from minute 1 – it is obvious to the reader, but not to Jessica who has no confidence in herself – so he has to work hard to break down her barriers & form a relationship with her.

Unfortunately Jessica also attracts the attention and lust of a very dangerous character bent on gaining power over her and getting her under his control.  She is soon torn between the desire to protect those she loves and the very real need to escape from this evil creature – what transpires concludes the book neatly, yet leaves room for book 2 and book 3 to follow.

This was a fast paced read, and very enjoyable, but Jessica’s naievety was hard to believe at times, and the writing style was fairly lightweight.

Dare : Tracey Cox

To ring the changes a little I have also been reading Dare – the strapline for this book intrigued me “what happens when fantasies come true”.  Tracey has compiled this book from real women’s fantasies, and it is set out cleverly, each entry has:  part 1 where the pure fantasy is described, part 2 where the execution is described – the practicalities of making the fantasy happen - and part 3 where the real scenario and its outcome is described. 

Tracey has applied her editing and writing talents to fantasies which people have submitted to her, but they've all  beenapproved by their authors, so whilst part 1 of each is often fun and titillating, part 2 and 3 can bring the participants and reader down with a bump!  Unexpected difficulties, emotions and participants’ reactions tend to tip the balance - things do not always go to plan! 

We all know that sex and adult encounters can have embarrassing, awkward moments – and it is the embracing of this which makes Tracey’s book a refreshing change.  It stands out from the literature which has mushroomed on the bookshelves since ‘Fifty’ took the reading world by storm!

The Rocky Horror Show

To celebrate its 40th year the Rocky Horror Show has gone on tour round the UK!  Hard to believe this was written and performed so long ago, when times were surely more prudish, but it is still fresh and funny and CAMP!  

Bella Talk travelled to Cambridge dressed like a burlesque performer, accompanied by apprehensive husband  kitted out to do the Time Warp!!  We got slightly odd looks as we walked into the heart of town in our OTT outfits but we had a whale of a time at the performance.  The cast were very talented and we were particularly impressed with Frank N. Furter - such a fantastic athletic physique and he owned the role no less than Tim Curry does in the film version.  

The other stand out character for us was the narrator - his quips were very current and he dealt with the Rocky Horror Hecklers with aplomb. I was disappointed that I wasn't allowed to throw my toast, but it made a great snack for the journey home!